Byeon Seung-wook (변승욱)

SENEF'07 Draws Top Directors

2007/09/04 | Source | Permalink |

Now in its 8th year, the Seoul International Film Festival, known as SENEF (the acronym comes from its original title, the Seoul Net and Film Festival) has evolved into Korea's most advanced cinematic event. It is also inviting some of the world's most innovative and renowned directors to its 10-day run which opens September 6th.
Japanese director Naomi Kawase, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year's 60th Cannes festival for The Mourning Forest, will make her first visit to Korea to present her film as the festival opener. After the screening the director will answer questions and talk with respected feminist film critic KIM Soyoung.

Other directors invited to present their films at the festival include Hollywood effects specialist Alan Chan with his own short film, Postcards from the Future, which is jointly opening the festival. Argentinean director Inés de Oliveira Cézar will attend with his feature, Foreigner, shot in the 2K HD format. Directors Pedro Aguilera (La I...| More

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14 Korean Films go to Italy's Far East Fest

2007/04/17 | Source | Permalink |

The 9th Udine Far East Film Festival boasts one of the largest showcases of Asian cinema in Europe. This year around 60 titles from across Asia were selected to screen at the event which runs April 20th to 28th in the picturesque northern Italian city. This year 14 top Korean films were invited, of which several will have their International Premiere at the festival.

Making their International festival debut are LEE Jeong-beom's gangster-themed drama "Cruel Winter Blues", JANG Jin's comedy-noir "Righteous Ties", JANG Moon-il's romantic-comedy "A Good Day for an Affair", BYEON Seung-wook's drama "Solace". Two of Korea's top-grossing hits of late 2006 will have their European Premier: CHOI Dong-hoon's high-stakes comedy-thriller "Tazza: The High Rollers" ("The War of Flower") and KIM Yong-hwa's weighty satire "200 Pounds Beauty", a look at the culture of plastic-surgery in the entertainment industry. The latter film went on to become the highest-grossing Korean comedy of all time...| More

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Producers heed online responses to movie names

2006/12/06 | Source | Permalink |

Working titles frequently replaced if many Internet users reject them

What's in a name? For cars and designer clothes, it seems almost everything. But the correct name may be just as important for films as well. Sometimes producers end up spending years torn between what they want and what the public want ― although the latter usually wins for the chance of gaining a larger audience.
That's what happened to director and writer Byeon Seung-wook, who took five years to decide on the title of his new film, roughly translated as, "Stuff You Talk about When You Love". The movie ("Solace") opened in Korean cinemas last week.
Originally titled "Miyeol", meaning "Slight Fever", the story is about a petty bourgeois couple who go through the typical ups and downs of dating. They are an ordinary pair of the contemporary times, who are both rather skeptical and cynical about being in love.
According to the director, he wanted to focus on the wounded minds of young and modern souls. So ...| More

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[MOVIE REVIEW]'Solace' twists melodrama to its advantage

2006/11/27 | Source | Permalink |

Sometimes, we watch films to satisfy our burning (yet often unfulfilled) desire for a better world - a cheap entertainment that whets our insatiable appetite for a sugarcoated fantasy that we hope will help replace our cheaper reality.

"Solace", directed by Byeon Seung-wook, defies such convention. The world it portrays is far from beautiful: Life is tough, all the characters are trapped, relationships are hard to forge and even harder to maintain.

In-gu (Han Seok-kyu) is a likable pharmacist. He smiles a lot, is friendly, and pleasant to talk with. His drugstore is small but he seems comfortable in the cramped space, playing an online poker game in his leisure time and ordering Chinese food for a quick lunch.

But his life is anything but happy-go-lucky. Older brother, In-seop (Lee Han-wi), is mentally disabled, and In-gu bears the burden of taking care of his brother, often involving a wild-goose chase around town because he tends to disappear. His older brother's presence po...| More

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